I’ve just completed a new pencil drawing featuring Cwmorthin Quarry, which is site near Tanygrisiau, North Wales. I discovered the area about two years ago when taking part in a caving activity and was very much inspired by the surrounding landscape. The building in the distance was a place where the miners would live during their time working at the quarry but it is now abandoned and damaged from neglect. I’m drawn to quiet and atmospheric scenes and I really wanted to capture the mood of the area. I started the drawing several months ago and then had a break for a while during my studio move. I resumed work this week and am really pleased with the finishing touches. It will be available to purchase soon.
Birmingham Art Circle Exhibition
I currently have three pieces of work on display at the the Birmingham Art Circle exhibition at the RBSA Gallery in Birmingham. It’s a diverse show and members work across several different mediums. The show runs until the 11th November and it is definitely worth a visit. My pieces are the ‘Sandonia 3’ pencil drawing and two oil paintings, ‘The Path Home’ and ‘Serenity’.
I recently went back to Snowdonia again and took further research photos of the landscape there. The mountains and the slate caverns are very dramatic and inspiring. It’s a great area and I could imagine living in the area at some point in the future.
Sandonia III
In 2021 I completed a pencil drawing of the old Sandonia building in Stafford. Since then it has sat in my studio and I almost forgot about it. I looked at it again the other day and decided to work into it some more, adding textures and darker tones to some of the areas. The changes have made it a stronger piece of work and I’m now happy.
The Sandonia is another example of a distinctive building being left to fall apart. Someone at some point began to knock it down but then stopped part way through the job. So we’re now left with a big hole down the side which reveals some of the interior.
Will it be pulled down or repaired? We’ll have to wait and see.
You can view ‘Sandonia III’ in the ‘Abandoned Spaces’ section of this website.